


The Worst Version of Yourself

by Tht0neGal666



Series: Rose Colored Glasses on Your Noses [3]
Category: Addams Family - All Media Types, Batman - All Media Types, Robin (Comics), Teen Titans (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Arguing, Evil Tim Drake, Future Tim Drake, Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Morally Ambiguous Tim Drake, Protective Tim Drake, Shapeshifting, Teen Titans vol.3 17-19, Tim Drake Has Issues, Tim Drake Needs a Hug, Tim Drake is Batman, Tim Drake is Robin, Tim Drake is an Addams, Tim Drake-centric, Time Travel, Titans of Tomorrow, in the future, literally what is the tag for Evil Batman Tim Drake From The Future I can't find one
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-02
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-15 12:35:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29808495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tht0neGal666/pseuds/Tht0neGal666
Summary: "I did what had to be done." Batman said heavily, surveying the graveyard of rouges blankly. "It took years.""years that you could have spent fixing this." Tim insisted. "Have you even talked to them?""Can't." Batman growled, like it crawled up his throat, and Tim's heart squeezed."Can't or won't?" Tim returned, extending his Bo. He'd never felt this sort of- this hatred."...Both." Batman admitted, shaking his head. "They wouldn't understand. Steph doesn't-"lava turned to ice in his veins, and he doesn't even remind himself to breathe. Its an ugly sort of anger, one that hurts in a way he doesn't like and can't stop, and the last time he was this angry-"Where is Steph."
Relationships: Tim Drake & Tim Drake, mentioned Stephanie Brown/Tim Drake
Series: Rose Colored Glasses on Your Noses [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2161704
Comments: 19
Kudos: 169





	The Worst Version of Yourself

"I know what you're thinking, Tim." A low voice growled, which was almost as great to wake up to as a throbbing headache.

He opened his eyes with a groan and bit back a hiss. _Two for one, then._

Quick, he had to think _quick,_ because he _was_ with his team and now he was- 

shit.

"That I'm not you. You're thinking 'I'll never be Batman'." The voice didn't-quite-mock, and Tim turned to a man not much taller then him, wearing the cowl. _"Never."_

A bit transfixed, he watched the man's jawline harden and broaden, a perfect mirror to Bruce, and briefly considered swallowing his tongue to delay this conversation, but resisted. His team _needed him._

_double shit._

"I used to believe that too. With all of my heart." The voice claimed, almost sympathetic, and Tim didn't _care._

"What am I doing here?" He asked, mostly on reflex, and then more importantly- "Where are the Titans. The _real_ Titans."

"The _Teen_ Titans?" Batman corrected, stepping forward. " _My_ Titans will find them. And I'll deal with _the Flash_ personally, when this is all over. I've known for some time that he's working with the _Others._ It's hard to imagine Bart Allen would _betray_ us like this. That he would jeopardize everything we've worked so hard to create and protect."

Tim's eyes narrowed, because he was right, that _was_ hard to imagine. Bart was...Arguably the most important person to him, outside of Gotham and family. If _Bart_ was turning against Batman, then Batman must have _seriously_ fucked up.

"He's just like _Wally._ " Batman sneered, like it was an insult somehow, and Tim half-stopped listening as he looked around the cave.

The cave full of suits in display cases, and _eerily_ silent.

"Where's Alfred?" he whispered. "Where's _Bruce?"_

_"I'll show you."_

And his vision went black.

\--

The light was low enough that he didn't have to blink, when he opened his eyes again.

"A...cemetery?"

Batman explained. Duela Dent, a rampage through Gotham, Bette Cassandra _Alfred-_

" _And you didn't fix it?"_ He demanded, turning on the man. Around him, he'd read some headstones- _Nygma, Cobblebot, Crane, Elliot-_ and the implications sunk in, but his heart was _roaring._ "Everyone _died,_ and you- you _what? Gave up?"_

"I did what had to be done." Batman said heavily, surveying the graveyard of rouges blankly. "It took years."

" _years_ that you could have spent _fixing this."_ Tim insisted. "Have you even talked to them?"

"Can't." Batman growled, like it crawled up his throat, and Tim's heart _squeezed._

"Can't or _won't?"_ Tim returned, extending his Bo. He'd never felt this sort of- this _hatred._

"...Both." Batman admitted, shaking his head. "They wouldn't understand. _Steph_ doesn't-"

lava turned to ice in his veins, and he doesn't even remind himself to _breathe._ Its an ugly sort of anger, one that hurts in a way he doesn't like and can't _stop,_ and the last time he was this angry-

"Where is Steph." He whispered, meeting the eyes of the cowl for the first time. Batman had gone _still_.

"You don't understand either." He sighed. "I didn't expect you to. I just...wanted to try to explain. But I should've known myself better. At that age, I was too...optimistic."

_It's hard to imagine Bart Allen would betray us like that._

(He doesn't see Sionis's grave, and it's the least surprising observation of the night.)

Tim fell into a fighting stance. 

"I will _never_ be you." He said, voice thrumming with dangerous _promise._ "Where. Is. _Steph."_

"Safe." Batman said, relief shadowing the word. "She is _now,_ at least. Works at Gotham General Hospital. When it all happened- she didn't agree, with any of this. Flew East for allies, almost got away, she knew me too well- but, well, I know her too. Memory erasure on an Addams...it was tricky, took a little trial and error, but I managed." Suddenly, there was a syringe in Tim's arm, plunger pushed before he even realized. "I suppose I'll do it again, too."

\--

It was a paralytic, unfortunately. He wished it was a poison, so he could at least _tune out_ Batman's evil monologuing- and not even the _fun_ kind, the stomach turning _boring_ kind. Like Scarecrow.

"-The gun I use killed Thomas and Martha Wayne. Don't you see? I'm _redeeming_ a tool of evil." Batman claimed, tightening Tim's bonds until they cut off circulation. Carefully, Tim _twitched_ his fingers, then tapped a short rhythm out. 

He'd tried pumping his blood faster, which only worked sometimes, and the paralytic was wearing off fast. Tim knew himself, knew that he had always been more emotional then he wanted to admit.

And he knew _exactly_ which buttons to press. He thought it over, then watched as his skintone faded darker on his arms. It was hard to do, with these restraints, but he managed _,_ and a whisper in his head reminded he that he could be _whoever he wanted._

"Redeeming a _tool?"_ He asked, voice layered with concern and entirely not his own. Batman _flinched_ so hard he tripped over himself, and Tim carefully, _carefully,_ worked the age of his body backwards.

When Batman stood back up, he met the image of the original Robin, shimmying out of his bonds with showman's grace, and projecting all of those sickly-sweet brotherly emotions that Dick always did. He was still in Robin's colors rather then Nightwing's, but hopefully that would just work in his favor. "Timmy...You're talking like a _gun_ has a guilty conscious. Do you think....maybe you're projecting?" He whispered, speaking so _gently_.

Batman looked like he'd been shot. 

_"Tim."_ Rang out, staticy and _loud_ in the silent room. _"Tim. Tim, it's Conner. Bumblebee and Wonder Girl have taken down Dark Raven. Heading....Your..."_ The feed cut choppily, but Batman stayed frozen in place. 

Tim fleshed out a plan in his head just as the skin settled into place, plan coming together quickly.

He wouldn't fail his team, or any of his precious people. He-

The ceiling came down, bringing two heroes and Superman down with it.

Batman shifted, finally clawing himself out of his head. _Damn._ He subdued Captain Marvel and pulled out a kryptonite ring. 

Tim couldn't help but laugh. Conner gaped at him, even dazed by the Kryptonite, which was probably fair.

"How are- how are you _doing_ this? No _wonder_ you're crazy, you're _alone."_ Tim hissed, shaking his head and standing in front of Conner, still in Dick's skin and Batman- hesitated.

Tim almost chocked, holding another manic giggle in.

"I'm not alone. I have my team." He argued. Tim scoffed.

"You have a _kyrptonite ring_ , is what you have. C'mon Timmy, you're smarter then that. Bruce's biggest weakness isn't that he doesn't _kill,_ it's that he doesn't _trust._ "

 _"You."_ Batman growled, jumping at him, and Tim was only able to dodge because he expected it. He pulled his Bo out. "I _knew_ you wouldn't get it."

Batman didn't reach for his gun, and Tim smiled with _warmth_ instead of _boiling._ A Showman's smile.

A _Robin's_ smile.

"I don't. And I won't. Because I _won't_ be you." Tim said, voice dropping back to his own, frigid and low. He subdued the man.

The gun that killed the Waynes skittered off into the cavern below, and Tim got to his feet just as _another_ wall exploded, smiling as his face shifted into something more _Jason,_ like he usually kept on as Robin, and joined back in the fight.

He _loved_ his team.

**Author's Note:**

> Batman: I can't believe Bart would betray us like this  
> Tim: Have you considered maybe that that is, like, a whole ass Red Flag?  
> \--  
> *Tim Drake voice* this is why Steph doesn't FUCKING love you  
> \--  
> dude I dunno. This isn't my best work by far, but it was fun enough! Hope y'all enjoy. Next up is either 'Pugsley pushes Tim off a roof' or 'Bat!Truth or dare ends badly', depends on what I finish first. Have a lovely day, and leave a comment if you liked the story <3


End file.
